(The Center Square) – For the second time this month, Shreveport officials are utilizing an assertive communications approach to reassure residents that the city’s water remains safe to drink.
The Shreveport Water and Sewerage Department is sending out notices in the mail this month that are required by state and federal regulations in reference to the city’s water quality violation that occurred in June 2025.
The issue was caused by a temporary equipment malfunction at the water plant during a “brief period” last year, which was repaired shortly after it was found. Water sample results returned to normal, the city said in a statement.
The violation stemmed from a spike in trihalomethanes or THM, a byproduct that forms when chlorine and other disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic matter in drinking water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA regulates total THMs by setting a maximum contaminant level, which the city exceeded during the malfunction. THMs are common in surface drinking water systems, like lakes and reservoirs, according to the EPA.
To resolve the issue, the city has since added backup parts and safeguards to help prevent a recurrence.
“This is not a new issue or new violation. The notice is required because federal regulations calculate compliance using a rolling annual average, even though sample results returned to normal long ago,” the city said, adding that customers have already received three previous notices about the same issue.
The violation was included as one part of Shreveport’s failing grade issued by the Louisiana Department of Health. At a press conference earlier this month, Mayor Tom Arceneaux Arceneaux said the THM violation was unfairly calculated multiple times as a deduction on the state’s 2025 report card.
Arceneaux pointed to aging infrastructure and administrative issues as core issues facing the city, rather than safety hazards.
